30th October, 1943: Broke again but happy

 My money was now appreciably less, and fruit had to be bought with moderation. We fixed our ration at eight annas per day, but I am afraid that I found this difficult, and once broken, my good resolution would simply vanish. A cup of "char" or a cold drink was our limit at the canteen.

Soon after 2 o'clock, we set our briskly for town, we had a mission, namely that of getting our parcels off. At the shop, we were faced with a financial problem. We were all engrossed in mental calculation, how much could we afford without rendering ourselves penniless for the rest of the week. I finally bought Dad a cigarette case, Nell two pairs of rayon stockings and Elsie an Indian table centre. Joe had also been busy with figures, and he too, had taken the plunge. Loftie and Bill were a little more wise perhaps, but they also bought some presents. After this shopping expedition, we were all low in pocket, so instead of our usual steak and onions, we were satisfied with ice cream, We had to return to camp for dinner due to our financial embarrassment.

So that we might case the situation for the next few days, instead of going to the pictures as one of us had suggested earlier, we delayed it. Sending presents home occasionally makes one run short, but that happiness got from giving is worth more than the money spent.